东方与西方历史观的对话--与美国学者萨米尔@皮尔逊就历史观念的探讨

皮尔逊教授从文化传统差异的角度论述了中国史学研究中对"客体”的过度偏重,以及西方学者更注重主观参与与历史客观的结合的两种不同的历史观念及其利弊得失.中方学者在一定程度上肯定了皮尔逊教授观点的同时,还指出了道德评价在历史研究中的意义,认为历史研究既要主观地从多种角度去考察,又不能淡化原始文献的客观性.

A Dialogue between East and West: Discussion with American Fulbright Professor Samuel Pearson on Historiography

Focusing on the approaches and methodology of historical studies, this paper reflects a dialogue of Chinese historians with an American professor of history. It covers data collection, the relationship between historians and their documents, objects and interpretations, and the role of moralistic thinking, etc. Pearson points out that relativism has significantly changed the approaches of historical studies in the West, while Chinese historians are still treating history as a completely objective discipline. Western historians have been paying more attention to people on the bottom of societies, while Chinese historians are largely preoccupied by the study of elite. Chinese historians do not refuse multiple interpretations of history but insist that moral judgment is not avoidable. The application of multiple approaches in historical studies should not lead to rejection of the objectivity of history. Extreme relativism is a misleading approach in historical studies.